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to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> a now, "bbc world news america." >> this is "bbc world news america." conflict, not celebration in tahrir square. protesters in egypt say nothing has changed in the two years since the revolution. we travelled to homs, a city divided. those who are with assad live a

normal life. those who oppose him have been devastated. opposition fighters glide downey's lanes. so do civilians contract in the middle. >> record profits for one stock while apple takes a plunge. what is shaking the world of tech? welcome to our viewers on public television in america and around the globe. in cities across egypt today, thousands clashed violently with police. protesting the lack of change since the revolution began two years ago. the tear gas, street battles, and slogans are the same. the demonstrators say the politics are the same, too. we go to our correspondent in

tahrir square tonight. >> a short while ago, the entire area behind me was shrouded in tear gas. the thousands of protesters have thinned out because of that. there are still hundreds in the square behind me. a lot of the protests across the country have turned violent. we have had confirmation from the health ministry the over 200 people have been injured in protests. we have had confirmation of five people having been killed in a demonstration. all this on the day president morsi said he wanted to be a day of peaceful celebration. there were signs early on it could turn violent. this is not what the revolution aries imagined.

two years on, instability, violence, and division. in tahrir square, we saw clashes with police and protesters. huge crowds filled the square after friday prayers. opposition supporters been betrayed -- feeling betrayed that the goals of the revolution were not realized. they are calling for the new president to go. mohammad morrissey and the muslim brotherhood preside over a country where huge splits have been exposed between islamists and levels. they had promised a country where all the egyptians would prosper. >> morsi and his brother who are the same as mubarak. it is exactly the same thing. >> there is not any change. not anything happened. just words. >> the revolution took the cover

off so we could see everything bad. now we have time to correct it. we have to correct it. we will correct it. >> it is not just cairo. people took to the streets in other cities. demonstrators attacked police trying to protect government buildings. inevitable retaliation by security forces reminiscent of the protests of the past caused new anchor. -- new anger. this evening, there is news of more clashes in cairo and elsewhere. more injuries and no deaths as well. a historic day, but this is no celebration. a lot of parallels have been drawn between what happened today and two years ago. a lot of the slogans in tahrir

square were remarkably similar. in the city of suez, there were five us today. two years ago, there were three deaths that ultimately toppled the ministry. >> two years ago, the protests in egypt led to the overthrow of hosni mubarak. what impact do you think these protests might have that we're seeing now? >> president morsi and the muslim brotherhood will be nervous about what they have seen today. it is important to say while there is disillusionment, things have not gone as people fought -- thought he debuts ago. the pace of change has not been great. we're talking about a split between the liberals and those in the support the brotherhood on the other.

it is the liberals who are mainly taking to the streets today. two years ago, we saw all of egypt coming out onto the streets. another half is sitting at home saying there has been an election. our side won. why are you on the streets? the president says give me time. i have had seven months on the job. people say he has had time. they worry about the agenda being pushed. they do not want the state to be made at the beginning. what is difficult to see is how the two sites will be brought together. neither the authorities nor opposition have come up with a clear vision as to how to do that. >> thank you very much. while egyptians are raising their voices two years after rising up against hosni mubarak, in syria, the defiance has not shifted president assad.

homs has seen some of the worst fighting. our reporter has returned for this special report. >> some of the heaviest fighting happened here. this neighborhood came to symbolize a brutal conflict. a ferocious government offensive after the opposition, it was an assault on an entire community. after nearly one year, life is slowly returning. rubbish collectors are on the job. a small sign the government is back on the street. some families are starting to come home. how is life here, i asked. could not be better, he replied.

he gives an anxious look at the soldiers escorting us. a repair shop is back in business. it is not much of a bicycle, but he makes it work. it is what life is like here. >> services are very good. beforeli mfe was>>ore difficult. things are getting better day by day. >> it is still a fragile calm, but good enough for children to play on the street. even they do not take notice when guns go off in the distance. it is part of their life now. scenes like this make you wonder. what is it like to grow up here? [gunfire] the opposition is still present, still fighting in other parts of

homs. even in areas closer to the city center, it is like a ghost town. the battle for homs is not over. no one is really winning or losing. last spring, this was no man's land. it's still is. the government on this side. deep inside, this is the historic old city. it has been under siege for months. you can hear the crackle of gunfire right now. opposition fighters slide down these lanes, but so do civilians, trapped in the middle. the old city has long been cherished by the people of homs. look at it now. we could not travel in. this video posted on youtube shows the toll of your long siege has taken on the heritage

and the people who still live here in dire conditions. eight agencies have been trying to get in for months. -- aid agencies have been trying to get in for most. minutes away, it feels like a different city. it is hard to believe there is a war. most of the people who live here back the government. it is predominantly the same sect as assad. the pizzeria seemed to be doing fine. the owner tells me in the areas will to the government, life is good. even here, they feel the effects of the war. >> not a month goes by without having to close for three or four days. there is no gas or people are not going out. >> there is a place to complain.

at the governor's office, local people air grievances to the man in charge. this man tells the governor we have several requests. the most important is spread -- bread, plus gas, fuel, and water. that covers pre much everything. the governor reassures them that their needs will be met. then it is my turn to ask questions. him that he is running a divided city. >> can you judge the situation by looking at a couple of neighborhoods? homs is a big province the size of holland. if you could not visit one street, does that mean all of it is troubled? >> we tried to visit the mainly sunni area, but the government told us it was too dangerous even though the army took it

back last month. much of homs is under control again, for now. so much has been lost here. there is of little trust. -- it is so little trust. there is a checkpoint now on almost every corner. this one is being manned by women. they call themselves the lionesses, loyal to a president whose name means the lion. part of popular committees set up by the government to reinforce security. they are putting a brave face on the war. there is no hiding what has gone on in homs, what has happened across syria, and what more is still to come. >> homs is the city completely divided between those who support assad and those who oppose him. north korea has hit out at south korea over the tightening of

u.s. sanctions. they threatened unspecified physical countermeasures if south korea participated in sanctions. a state run chinese newspaper has warned beijing would not hesitate to reduce aid to north korea if it carries out another nuclear test. a judge in america has sentenced a former cia officer to more than two years in prison. he was found guilty of leaking the name of a covert intelligence officer. his supporters argue he was prosecuted for revealing controversial interrogation practices. prosecutors say he was motivated by fame and money. president obama has named a longtime foreign policy aide to be his next white house chief of staff. the president described him as a close friend not afraid to deliver a straight talk. mr. obamas said he played a key role in every national security decision of his administration. in northern mali, islamist

militants destroyed when a strategic bridge. it is the bridge that thousands of african troops were planning to use to reinforce the battle against the rebels. even as the french-led military operation gathered strength, there are warnings of a humanitarian crisis. 350,000 people have been uprooted by the violence. we have this report from the central town. >> they may be hundreds of miles away from home, but these children still find a reason to play. 10 months ago, their family was forced to flee their home. armed militants were threatening them. the workforce in the women to cover their faces. this young unmarried woman says she was taken away and interrogated after she dared to speak to a male neighbor.

>> they came and put their guns in my face. i followed them. they kept me for more than four hours asking me how i know this man and why i talked to him. everyone has fled. why do i stay? and got really scared. i told a friend. he gave me some money to come here. >> she fled with her sisters to family. they have relied on the generosity of relatives for rent. food is becoming scarce. >> the displaced do not have any medical assistance. now even lack food. the world food program was distributing food. it stopped two months ago. there is no more food distribution here. >> one morning, they all fled as

armed rebels were entering the city. >> i saw them a ride. i knew they were coming for war. my wife had been sick. we fled. >> he does not know if his house is still standing. he hopes he can soon go back home. in the meantime, the young ones are taking advantage of any opportunity they get to make this a home away from home. bbc news in mali. >> mali is now a war-torn country. still to come, the winter of europe's content. in belgium, more people turn to handouts to survive the growing economy. -- the grim economy.

the russian parliament about a draft law banning homosexual propaganda. there was only one deputy that voted against it in the lower house. outside, passion spilled over to scuffles on the street. police made arrests after the gay-rights supporters were insulted by opponents. steve rosenberg reports from moscow. >> ahead of the debate inside the russian parliament, there was drama outside on the street. gay-rights activists. police detained 20 people. later, military police turned their attention to the controversial bill. pass the first hearing by a huge margin. it will prohibit the spread of homosexual propaganda in the wording which presence of children. it would mean across russia public events promoting gay

rights could be broken up and the organizers find -- fined. >> we see open propaganda that harms. young people will decide on their own how to live in the future and what orientation to choose. >> this draft bill sends a bad signal to society of repression and limitation of civil rights guaranteed by the constitution of the russian federation. >> several russian cities have already passed similar local laws. the move to legislate on the federal level enjoys popular support. surveys showed 2/3 of the russian public find homosexuality morally unacceptable. the bill has been criticized by human-rights groups, including the kremlin's human rights council.

bbc news in moscow. >> stocks rose today as the euro hit an 11-month high. investors took heart that europe's financial crisis may have eased. it is ironic as the situation improves, the real economic situation for many europeans its worst -- gets worse. the british economy shrunk more than expected. the belgian economy is just as bleak. throughout northern and southern europe, the fear is losing your job. >> the fire has been burning for three months fell, who arming the striking workers. they are the latest victims of europe's economic crisis. say goodbye to the sprawling ford factory in eastern belgium. it is shutting down.

with europe in recession, they are not selling enough vehicles. >> is a disaster for the region. 11,000 jobs were lost. we hope there are other jobs. >> i am feeling very insecure. i am feeling very insecure for the future. >> insecure and angry, which is why the workers have impounded 7000 cars. it is a new bargaining chip in their negotiations. what is happening shows how the eurozone debt crisis is becoming an economic and social crisis across the whole of europe. the last few years were about helping the heavily indebted countries in the south of the continent. the next few years are also going to be about helping these, the core economies. it is not only the big firms in trouble.

this family chemical business is struggling. it is just as bad here, they believe, as it is in spain. >> if you see the number of unemployment and bankruptcy of companies, the difficulties are the same situation. >> in belgium? >> absolutely. >> northern belgium is still one of the richer regions of europe. unemployment is far below the record levels in southern europe. even here, more and more are coming to the food banks for handouts. among them, a single mother whose benefits will soon be cut as the government reduces spending. >> i see it is getting worse. there's a lot less food to go around. there are more people. it is really difficult to find work. >> difficult for many. in nearby brussels, officials

speak of signs of improvement. on the streets, the big economic freeze is setting in. now the price, bbc news, belgium. -- matthew price, bbc news, belgium. >> live continues to get harder for many. one company currently experiencing surprising growth is samsung. it has announced record profits driven by impressive sales of smartphones. success is putting pressure on apple which lost its slot today as the most valuable company in the world. our technology correspondent reports. >> six years ago, the iphone was unveiled by steve jobs and went on to def wne the smartphone industry. now samsung has grabbed the lead. it is a giant conglomerate that

makes everything from televisions to washing machines. it is smartphones that have transformed its fortunes and now contribute more than half the profits. their offering new smartphone users the same experience as apple for less. >> we're offering an attractive experience at an affordable price. for those who want to use facebook and e-mail, they do not need to pay the top of the range to get those services. >> apple has delivered outstanding results this week, but its shares have slid amid worries of its ability to come to something new. in the l dt quarter of 2012, it made over 8 billion pounds in profit and sold a record 48 million iphones. analysts reckon samsung sold over 60 million smartphones. it is grabbing a bigger share of

the market. apple is still making more money. the competition is set to get fiercer as smartphones into more areas of people's lives. within half of all british consumers now own a smartphone. they are using them for everything from paying each other to control in the television. >> we have more computing power than when they put men on the moon. our phone is not just about making calls and texting. we're making music and movies. we are connecting with people socially. we are navigating. >> as the smartphones revolution gathers pace, the competition is heating up. samsung and apple. fine pressure from other rivals -- could find pressure from other rivals in china. >> that is amazing. more tech in our pockets than

the astronauts on apollo. that brings the program to a close. you can continue watching "bbc world news" on our 24-hour news network. you can get all our stores as well on our website. you can find us on twitter as well. thank you for watching. have a great evening. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation,

and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key, strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? he >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

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